batavia

Jen Goss, found of Catty Shack, a cat and kitten rescue, and Kasey Thompson, with kittens that will soon be available for adoption during a garage sale at the corner of Batavia Elba Townline Road and Route 98 (Daws Corners) this afternoon.

The garage sale continues on Sunday as is a fundraiser for Catty Shack.

Catty Shack will have at least 15 kittens available for adoption in a few weeks. They will be vetted and spayed and neutered. 

A female crossing West Main Street by the CVS store was struck by a vehicle and has an injured leg. City fire and Mercy medics are responding to 259 W. Main St. at the corner of South Lyon Street.

Andy Helwig, who will be the voice of the Batavia Muckdogs on WBTA this season, holds up the new road and home jerseys for the 2018 Batavia Muckdogs.

The season is just around the corner, with players reporting in about a week. The first home game is June 18 at 7:05 p.m.

It was a bright, beautiful day for the first day of the Batavia's Downtown Public Market at Bank and Alva.

In addition to many returning favorites for the Genesee County Farmer's Market, there were two new vendors at the market today, Market Manager Mike Bakos told WBTA. 

Pickle Annie's offers a variety of pickles as well as flavored cider vinegar, which Bakos said is supposed to be good for joint health.

Also new this year is Bad Ash BBQ (The Batavian's publisher and editor can recommend the pulled pork sandwich with baked beans and coleslaw).

"This is a really good spot for the market because we can attract vendors all season long and expand," Bakos said. "We can make the market bigger as needed and that’s really nice."

The market sells $5 Farmers Market Money gift certificates and if you buy $45 worth you get another $5 free.  

The market also accepts SNAP benefits and thanks to a grant, through July, customers who use their SNAP benefits card at the market will receive a $2 coupon for each $5 purchased from a food vendor.

Arnie Aldinger and Ronald Gonzalez place a wreath on the brick walkway outside the PTSD Clinic at the VA Medical Center in Batavia.

The walkway contains bricks with the names of veterans who have passed on. Below, Chuck Ross reads the names of some of those veterans, including for two veterans whose names have been added to the walkway: Christopher M. Berry, Army, and Jerome D. Chatmon Sr., Army.

Edwin Gadson, peer support specialist, sings the National Anthem (beautifully).

Frank Panepento, above, and Tom Cecere, played Echo Taps.

 One hundred and fifty years of history, tradition, successes, and memories were shared today at the New York State School for the Blind in a ceremony marking the institution's sesquicentennial.

Today's speakers included Thomas Ruller, NYS archivist, on stage in the photo above, with a picture of the original School for the Blind, dedicated in 1868 (the current building was constructed in the 1940s). 

It was the 23rd such school in the nation, putting New York at the forefront of building schools for blind students, Ruller said.

"One thing I found interesting is there is a sort of lore that the school for the blind in Batavia was established largely to support and provide assistance for veterans of the Civil War," Ruller said. "In looking at the first hundred students who entered the school, there weren’t very many individuals who were veterans of the Civil War."

The first official student, he said, was Samuel Stillwell, born in 1850, and blinded by a stick in when he was 10. He was at the school for only 11 months before his family moved to Missouri, where he died the next year of tuberculous.

One of the early students, the 13th, in fact, who went on to great success, was a native of Genesee County. Ambrose Shockwell was valedictorian of the Class of 1873. He then rejoined his family, who by that point had moved to Michigan, where he became instrumental in advancing the cause of blind people. He gained a national reputation as an educator and a leader in the blind community.

Ruller shared a quote about him from 1914: "He was gentle in spirit, caution in pronouncing judgment upon any subject, a great student, an untiring worker for those who are blind. It is safe to say that no other man in this section of the country among workers for the blind demands greater respect than Ambrose M. Shockwell."

Vincent Tagliarino, Class of 1954, on piano, leading the alumni in the Alumni Alma Mater.

In his talk, Ruller noted how important music has always been to the school. For much of its history, the school's choir was sought regionally for its performances and the school had a jazz band in the 1950s and 1960s.

State Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Steve Hawley read a joint Senate-Assembly proclamation honoring the school.

Jack Herring presented the original diploma of Agnes Hamilton, his aunt, whom everybody knew, he said, as "Aunt Agnes," as a gift to the school, returning it, he said, to where it belongs.

Hamilton graduated in 1915. She lived until she was one day shy of her 100th birthday and Herring said she was an incredible woman.

He said he learned three things from her: That "handicapped" is only a state of mind. That seeing isn't something only done with your eyes. And, that a sense of humor is an essential part of being happy.

"There is no doubt in my mind that she could see more than most sighted people and she couldn’t even distinguish daytime from nighttime," he said.

Whenever there was a family gathering or any gathering of people, Herring said, Aunt Agnes was the life of the party.

He recalled that when people learned Hamilton had a job they would ask as politely as possible what she did for a living.

"I'm a proofreader," was her deadpan response.

Pause.

“The expressions I witnessed on their faces was memorable, to say the least, but little did they know, she was actually telling them the truth," Herring said.

Hamilton worked for Reader's Digest for 40 years proofreading their Braille edition. She kept an apartment by herself in New York City five days a week and returned to her Upstate home by herself on a train each weekend.

Edwin Cooney, president of the Alumni Association, shared in some detail what it was like to be a student at the NYSSB in the 1960s, recalling both the sadness at being separated from family on the first day of school and the excitement of being back with your friends, meeting new people, and doing new things. He reminisced about teachers and travels and all the things that made life living and studying at the school worthwhile.

Jacob Bross is one of the school's current students. He said wasn't doing very well at his previous school. He didn't apply himself to his studies and was often late to class before dropping out.

Transferring to NYSSB changed his life, he said.

"I lacked self-confidence that I was on the same level as my peers," Bross said. "The school gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone."

In addition to limited vision, Bross said he was diagnosed with high functioning autism.

"The school has given me many opportunities to socialize and form friendships," he said.

He said he enjoys going to movies, local baseball games, shopping, field trips, and participating in dorm dinners, dances and proms.

"I exercise a lot of independence in completing my work," Bross said. "My teacher believes in me. She advocates for me and tells me she has faith I can pass my Regents exam. This alone helped me build my confidence. I now believe in myself."

Once he graduates, he said, he wants to pursue a career in psychology.

(A picture and information about a student who spoke was removed at the request of the school.)

The school choir sang the Alma Mater of the current class.

Photos below, from a room off the foyer of historic artifacts.

In a couple of weeks, Beverly L. Mancuso will visit her brother in Ohio and attend a couple of her nieces' recitals. Once the State of New York releases the retirement funds she long paid into the system, the former executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County will consider more elaborate travel plans.

"Bev" spent Thursday saying goodbyes at the extension's headquarters on East Main Street in Batavia, winding down the final hours of 16 and a half years of employment there, the longest of her career.

She is dressed in khaki and coral colors, with "bling," as she calls it, to match. Tanned, with an easy laugh and quick mind, her mien is forthright, she is plain spoken, and admittedly unkeen on "micromanaging" adult professionals.

She left on her birthday at the top of her game, with a solid track record of achievement, and an unclouded sky above her.

There are several reasons for that.

Having steeped herself in the machinations of county government for five years prior to Cornell helped, as did a deep dive into the finances of the extension for the two years she served as business manager and associate director prior to landing the executive directorship.

Before that, her expertise in systems administration helped her develop the skills that could bring greater simplicity and clarity to the administrative side of the cooperative extension. For example, she helped craft a shared business network and that took more than six years to build.

"We already had strong programs, so I focused on the administrative side," Mancuso said. "How could we work smarter and do things differently? I tried to make it easy for people to do their actual jobs, so they're not doing busy work."

And always she kept mindful of taxpayers' money, and how she could be more responsible with it.

The days of 25 employees at Cornell extension in Batavia are history, she said, noting that today there are 10 permanent employees.

One idea she has, this daughter of the nation's creator of the first business incubator, AKA the Batavia Industrial Center, is to have a "one-stop-shop for nonprofits, for human service agencies."

"So we can all maximize the limited funding...we've got to be smarter about how we're doing stuff," she said. "It's not going back to how it was, how it used to be."

Another reason for Mancuso's strength of tenure can be traced to a program she is really proud of perpetuating after others launched it: Leadership Genesee.

Developed at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Batavia, and also unique to it, Leadership Genesee took 10 years to get off the ground.

"It became a force in the community -- all the nooks and crannies -- and what makes it tick," she said. "Every day focuses on a different component of the community. We don't tell them what to think, we just show them how everything works and they make up their own mind."

To date, it has trained more than 500 graduates, including Mancuso, who graduated in its debut Class of 2001.

She says it taught her, among other things, the wisdom to "let go" and allow others to help when a seemingly insurmountable problem arose.

There were 35 people in the latest class and applications for the next one are being reviewed.

The merits of the yearlong program are not lost on area employers.

"A lot of different local employers, they get it, they see the value in it," Mancuso said. "It doesn't really focus on developing traditional leadership skills -- like decision making -- it's about people who really love where they live and gives them an opportunity to see a lot of the things that are going on."

Whether the day's focus is agriculture and farm tours, or economic development and government, or travel and tourism, or nonprofit resources, the range is so broad and the knowledge so finely tuned that the cumulative impact of Genesee-County-as-classroom on the learner is profound, as graduates readily attest.

After completing Leadership Genesee, graduates can apply their skills and knowledge to any area that speaks to them and hopefully be able to make a difference in the community for the better; that's the goal.

"It's the best way for people to learn," Mancuso said. "And really, the issue is, we have bigger needs than we can (adequately) address. Like the opioid crisis."

Her leadership in the leadership program is one reason she was honored as a New York State Woman of Distinction by Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer last month.

Overall, Mancuso says she has learned a great deal by listening to experts in agriculture, which is far and away the main economic engine in this county.

"These guys are so smart," Mancuso said. "(Farming) is so hard. If anybody undersells what they do, it's agriculture. But I've been learning, learning, learning. The people who do this here have such an amazing skill set and they are so brilliant."

She leaves the cooperative extension that helps them, secure in the knowledge that Robin Travis is temporarily in charge.

The interim executive director brings 40 years of experience with the extension and numerous associations in the Finger Lakes region.

The reason why she has come out of retirement for the third time after formally retiring seven years ago to serve in an interim executive capacity is that she has personally seen the positive difference CE makes in people's live -- 4'Hers, homemakers, farmers, business professionals. She also works as a coach to new executive directors, mentoring them.

She has turned down some gigs, but says even though Genesee County is her longest commute -- 92 miles -- it was an easy "yes."

"I look at the strength of the board, their financial position and I look at their programming and how they're doing," Travis said. "And this one is going to be a delight because things are running so smoothly."

Travis planned to meet Thursday afternoon with a senior staff member to do a brief interview to find out what that employee thinks, likes, dreams and would like to see changed or implemented. These one-on-one sessions will continue next week with the rest of the staff.

Travis's part-time job through Sept. 30 is to keep things running as smoothly as Mancuso left them. The executive director position is being advertised and closes July 1. Qualified candidates will be screened through phone interviews and those making the final cut will travel to Batavia for interviews.

A committee, co-chaired by the Board of Directors President Colleen Flynn and the State Specialist and Cornell Representative Renee Smith, oversees the search process.

"I feel strongly that being able to understand our mission and then applying it to everyday life" is key in filling to position, Travis said. "It's a very grassroots organization, so we really try to address the issues that are particular to whatever county we're talking about.

"(The committee) is looking for somebody who knows the mission, who has vision and can see possibilities, and that is not stuck in the past or in what's current, but can really see the future."

Despite the enormous impact of technology on all of the work done at the cooperative extension, it is the relationships with people that are still at the core of everything, Travis said.

"The way you help people change behavior is to form a relationship with them," Travis said.

Those relationships help strengthen the organization's credibility, too, and its accountability.

"The buck stops here," Travis said. "We have the research base; we have the worldwide connection to that research."

Travis is also impressed that Genesee County has a whopping three staff specialists in residence in Batavia, an indication of the power of agriculture in Genesee County: "Expertise at your fingertips."

And Travis's expertise is greatly appreciated by Mancuso.

"She has such a strong background; she knows programs; she knows the system," Mancuso said. "The local piece is different but she already knows and respects that. I think her personality and demeanor are going to play really well here."

Speaking of playing...There were a couple of bottles of beer in a bag on the floor of Mancuso's nearly bare office, parting gifts from colleagues. Maybe she'll sip a cold one while watching "Cold Mountain," which she jotted down as a note to self, following a reporter's suggestion because Mancuso, who is not married, is fond of its star, Jude Law.

He could serve her a cocktail on vacation, say, at Camogli beach in Liguria in Northwestern Italy. She says she would not mind at all.

Photo of HOLM Director Ryan Duffy, assistant Nellie Slocum, and History Heroes coordinator Anne Marie Starowitz at the Holland Land Office Museum yesterday.

They're gearing up for the annual History Heros summer program.

More information:

The 2018 Holland Land Office Museum will again be conducting its History Heroes Summer Program.

The program is an eight-day camp for local youths from the ages of 7 to 12 to learn more about the local history of Genesee County and Western New York in a fun and educational environment.

The theme of this year's camp is "Summer Days at the Museum."

The campers will be busy with all sorts of fun and educational activities and projects.

Some of the highlights of History Heroes include: a field trip to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Park; a visit by animals of the rainforest courtesy of the Buffalo Zoo's Zoomobile; tours of the museum and historic Batavia; a trip to the movies; penny carnival; end of program presentation, and much more.

The dates for the History Heroes this summer will be July 17th through July 20th, and July 24th through July 27th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Those who wish to attend can sign up for all eight days, or for individual days.

The cost per day is $25, or $20 for museum members, excluding the field trip day. Please contact the Holland Land Office Museum for further information at 343-4727 or at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

The information for the History Heroes Summer Program is also available on the museum's website hollandlandoffice.com.

The Holland Land Office Museum would also like to thank the sponsors for this year's History Heroes, who without their generous donations the program would not be what it is today: Ken's Charcoal Pits, Batavia Showtime, T-Shirts Etc., Tompkins Insurance, Bontrager's Auction, Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union, Artic Refrigeration, Batavia's Original, Batavia Turf Farms, Bohm-Calarco-Smith Funeral Home, Jim Dommer -- CPA, J. Leonard McAndrew Funeral Home, Kreative Design Kitchen & Bath, DelPlato Casey Law Firm, Edward Jones, Ficarella's Pizzeria, Lambert's Design Jewelers, Max Pies Furniture, Pellegrino Auto Sales, The Batavian, Valle Jewelers.

State Street Animal Hospital is hosting "The Bark-arrific Saturday Ice Cream Social" from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 23, at the hospital, located at 7950 State Street Road, Batavia.

Just show up with your friendly K9 friend and join the State Street crew for this special event.

All dogs must be leashed to attend. Dog-safe ice cream will be served, and there will be ice cream for human companions as well.

While this social is specifically for dogs, they love your feline friends, too, and treats will be provided for owners to take home to their kitty comrades.

Parasols, gloves and hats, strictly optional. Wet Wipes probably aren't.

• Ty's Painted Poles by Ty Dickey -- June 14 -- Aug. 4  /  Reception: June 21 6-8 p.m. 

If you are thinking about starting a busimess or have a great idea, or maybe you'd just like to see what entrepreneurship is all about, then take a tour of Downtown Batavia businesses on Thursday, June 21, and hear local stories about starting and operating a small business.

You're invited to a START-UP Genesee "Think & Drink" Entrepreneurial Series Event. Meet at Eli Fish Brewing Company. Walking tour is free. Food and drink will be provided.

Time is 4 to 6 p.m.

RSVP by contacting Rahcel Tabelski at 343-4866 or at  rtabelski@gcedc.com

This event is hosted by the START-UP Genesee Business Assistance Team.

Great opportunity to network and take your ideas and business to the next level!

Pierre M. Humphrey and Asia N. Fedrick are indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony. It is alleged that on Jan. 16 in the area of Park Road, Batavia, that they knowingly and unlawfully possessed a narcotic drug -- cocaine -- with the intent to sell it. In count two, they are accused of the same crime, except the drug was heroin. In count three, they are accused of the same crime as in count one, except the drug was tablets containing codeine and acetaminophen (such as hydrocodone). In count four, they are accused of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a Class C felony, for allegedly possessing preparations, compounds, mixtures and substances containing cocaine and the aggregate weight of them was one-eighth ounce or more. In count five, the duo is accused of unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation. In count six, Humphrey alone is accused of criminal impersonation in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count six that Humphrey "did impersonate another and did an act in such assumed character with intent to obtain a benefit or to injure or defraud another."

Submitted photos and press release:

The Paolo Busti Cultural Foundation of Genesee County will honor two “Outstanding Italian-Americans” and annual scholarships will be awarded on Wednesday, June 13th, at Terry Hills in Batavia.

This year's honorees are Lucille DiSanto and Larry Hale. Candidates for scholarships are: Lauren Leone, Jacob Gualtieri and Carli Piazza.

Tickets for the dinner are available at Ben’s Appliance, V.J. Gautieri Construction or from any board member.

Guests will be served a fabulous deluxe “Italian Plate” with dessert, and the works for $30 per person. This is the one of foundation’s only fundraisers and all proceeds go to our scholarship program.

Please come out and enjoy a wonderful evening and celebrate the contributions Italian-Americans have made right here in Genesee County and our scholarship recipients.

Any questions and for reserved seating contact Michele Fuller (585) 768-7016.

About the Honorees

Lucille DiSanto is married to Gary DiSanto, and they are the proud parents of four children.

Andrea (Jeremy Layton), Lisa LaFornara, Vincent and Joseph DiSanto. Her grandchildren Madison and Ethan always make her smile!

While growing up in Batavia, she attended St. Mary's Elementary School, Notre Dame High School, and Genesee Community College. While going to school, she worked for her father, Paul Messina, at the Buccaneer Restaurant. She calls those years the "School of Hard Knocks."

"That is where I honed my work ethic and learned the benefit of hard work and dedication," she said.

She is extremely proud of her Italian heritage. Her father's family came from Velalunga, Sicily. Her mother, Gilda Ruffalo Messina, was born in Regio, Calabria. Her father's family settled in Batavia and managed muck land in Elba for many years.

Lucille received her teaching degree at Oneonta College, a master's degree in Special Education at Binghampton University, and an administrative degree at Canisius College. She taught elementary school in Unadilla and Sidney, NY.

She returned to Batavia in 1998 and began teaching for the Batavia City Schools, where she remained for 20 years. She became an adjunct instructor for Genesee Community College and received the NISOD Award for Excellence in Teaching. (NISOD stands for the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development.)

A member of the Zonta Club, she began a teenage service group called the Z-Club. It is an organization that provides opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills, explore career alternatives and to improve international understanding through projects and advocacy.

The club has raised enough money to have four water towers built at schools in Uganda, educate women in Madagascar, and conduct a Salvation Army Food Drive as well as a Toy Drive for YWCA. Club members also run the Z-Closet at Batavia High School and they help various organizations in Batavia. They were recognized by the Batavia City Council for their work in the community.

Lucille also organized the Zonta Holiday Festival and is organizing a carnival at Batavia Downs that will benefit a variety of organizations that are seeking to raise money.

In proud honor of her Italian heritage, she volunteered at St. Anthony's, in the making of the St. Joseph's Table, an Italian tradition. The Paulo Busti Foundation is delighted to name Lucille an "Outstanding Italian American."

Larry Hale

It was at Ficarella’s Pizzeria that he learned the value of family and hard work. He is a graduate of Batavia High School where he met his childhood sweetheart, Diane (Mazur) Hale; they’ve been married 27 years. They have five sons! Zachary, Alex, Dillon, and twins Tyler and Jacob.

His grandmother was an immigrant from Sicily. He credits his Italian roots for his work ethic and determination. He has had to work hard to raise his large family.

Larry graduated from the New York State Corrections Academy in Albany. It was there he began his career in corrections. After three years they moved back to Batavia, where they wanted to raise their family. He currently works at Attica Correctional Facility, where he will retire from, after 25 years.

In 2000 Larry began volunteering as a coach. Over the past 18 years he has coached teams at every age level. There were seasons when he coached three teams simultaneously! This included All Stars, Travel and Fall Ball. He served as Treasurer of the Batavia Minor League Board and Vice President and President of the Batavia Little League Board.

On a Saturday morning at 6 a.m. you could find him preparing the fields to play. He has a passion for coaching, and believes sports are important both mentally and physically. He said, “Sports are not about winning, they are about respect, overcoming hardships, discipline, hard work and camaraderie.”

Since its inception in 2007, Larry has volunteered for the Michael Napoleone Foundation. This foundation holds a special place in his heart. Michael was a classmate and special friend to his twin sons. His wife serves on the Board of Directors. Larry is instrumental in coordinating the annual Michael Napoleone Foundation Memorial Day Baseball Tournament, which is a huge success.

Larry is an excellent role model to the hundreds of children he has coached, and it is our honor to name him an “Outstanding Italian American.”

About the Student Scholarship Candidates

Lauren Leone, above, is a senior at Batavia High School, and the daughter of David and Lisa Leone.

Through all of high school Lauren has been very active in student government: serving as class president for three years; student government executive secretary for one year; lead attorney for the mock trial team for three years; hostess of the Mr. Batavia charity event in 2018; president of the National Honor Society in 2017; Link Crew leader for two years; and a student contributor to the A+ Batavia Communicator (school district newsletter) in 2017.

She has been on the varsity tennis team for three years, String Sensations for four years, Batavia High School Orchestra for four years, and GWMEA county and state solo festival participant for three years.

Lauren has received awards for perfect attendance from 2016 through 2018, varsity tennis scholar athlete for three years, Monroe County All-League Athlete award twice, Scholastic Bowl Rookie of the Year in 2017, American Chemical Society Achievement in 2016 and 2017 and the NSYEO Seal of Biliteracy in English and Spanish in 2018.

Lauren has also been a lector at Ascension Parish in Batavia once a month since 2014. She has volunteered for Linda Bartlett’s summer writing program, at the Holland Land Office Museum’s History Heroes program and for Crossroads House.

Lauren intends to major in both Journalism and Political Science at either Ithaca College or Syracuse University.

Jacob Gualtieri, above, is a senior at Notre Dame High School in Batavia, and the son of Michael and Deborah Gualtieri, of Le Roy.

He is a past member of Science Club and Junior National Honor Society and a current member of National Honor Society.

For all four years of high school Jacob has participated in varsity track and field, varsity cross country and the school chorus. He has also participated in his school’s productions of "Godspell" and "Beauty and the Beast."

He is very active in his church and has been an altar servant for the last six years, gone on a mission trip to help organize a refugee center and assist the elderly, and caroled at elderly living facilities during the holidays.

He is a scholar athlete, won the Computing Medal Award in 2017 and holds a black belt in Isshyn-Ryu Karate which he achieved in 2014. Jacob plans on attending Rochester Institute of Technology to major in Computer Engineering.

Carli Piazza, above, is a senior at Le Roy High School, and the daughter of John and Joele Piazza.

She has belonged to Rotary Club since 2017 and the Ecology Club since 2016. She has been on the honor roll for all four years of high school.

Carli played basketball for four years and has been on the soccer team since seventh grade.

She has volunteered for several events and organizations -- from helping teachers at Open House, to working an alumni basketball game, to a children’s roller-skating party, to the Hope Center of Le Roy.

She plans on attending either Monroe Community College or Genesee Community College to major in Interior Design.

Jenn Martino-West shared this picture from early this morning of a deer helping herself to birdseed on South Pearl Street.